Method of forming rollers for roller bearings



Patented Feb... 27, T23.

tater JEREMI BINGHAM, or 'roLnno, omo, assren onro THE oon BEARING company,

orrotmoo, onto, a oonroaarrort or OHIO.

METHOD F TOWING ROLLERS IEORI ROLLER BEARINGS.

application filed October a, 1917.

- of which the following is a specification,

reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to the manufacture of rolls for roller bearings and is more particularly adapted for use in the forming of rolls having both radial thrust and end thrust surfaces. It is the primary object of the invention to avoid the necessity of waste of stock through machining operations; further, to obtain a wearing surface having a greater density and homogeneity than where produced by machine; further, to facilitate the grinding and heat treatment of the rolls; and further, to obtain various features of improvement as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings Figures 1 to 4 illustrate the successive stages in the development of a roll blank;

Figure 5 is a cross-section showing the apparatus for rolling and developing the blank.

While my invention is applicable to various types of rolls, it is particularly adapted to the forming of tapering rolls having enlarged heads for formin the end thrust surfaces. By the ordinary? process of-manufacture, it is necessary to start with stock which is large enough in diameter to form the heads of the rolls and to reduce the diameter of the tapered portion of the rolls by machining. This involves not only great loss of stock but also the expense of the machining operation. The rolls are always machined oversize and are then heat treated to produce the desired hardening,

' after which they are ground to exact size and form. With my improved method a cylindrical blank A, which may be cut from a stock bar to contain a predetermined mass of metal, is heated and isthen rolled between relatively moving surfaces so fashioned as to gradually change the shape and distribute the metal to the desired form.

The initial step in the operation is ill'ustra'ted in Figure 2, a further step in Figure 3 and the final form in Figure 4. It will be Serial No. 194,677.

noted that the blank is refashioned to form a plurality of rolls, preferably two rolls, having their enlarged heads in proximity and their tapering portions extending op positely outward. The heads are formed either by upsetting the metal to a larger diameter than the stock bar A or by maintaming substantially the same diameter and reducing the diameter of the tapering portions. Also the metal intermediate the heads of the two rolls is reduced in diameter so as to leave only a small section for shearing. Specifically the final product has a head B with a spherical end surface C and a tapering portion D separated from the head by an intermediate groove E. Between adjacent heads is. the connecting portion of the blank F. The blank is rolled between plates G and H, and cam portions I of these plates are fashioned to gradually develop the form of the roll, as shown.

By the method justdescribed the blanks may be rolled to the proper size for grind-- mg, and this may be accomplished by a single reciprocation of the plates G and H. The fact that the tapers of the rolls extend oppositely will overcome any tendency to skew when rolling. It may in some cases be found advantageous to follow the hot rolling process with a cold rolling step, so as to develop a dense and homogeneous outer skin of metal for taking the wear. The

blanks are then subjected to the heat treat men't process'and may be ground to exact size before severing the two sections from each other. This severing is preferably effected by a shearing operation and any roughness that may result can be removed by a finishing grinding.

What I claim asm invention is:

1. A roller for rol er bearings, comprising a tapering body and enlarged head, having dense homogeneous rolled surfaces.

2. A roller for roller bearings, comprising a tapering body and enlarged head constituting respectively radial thrust and end thrust portions, the surfaces of said portions being dense and homogeneous, and being unmachined and ground.

3. The method of forming rollers for roller bearings, comprising the hot-rolling headand body having dense homogeneous rolled surfaces.

6. A roller for roller bearings, comprising a body and a head connected thereto having dense homogeneous rolled surfaces.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JEREMIAH BINGHAM. 

